(A) Cruel acts and conditions enumerated.
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person:
(a) To willfully or maliciously kill, maim, disfigure or torture, strike, hit or beat with a stick, board, chain, club or other object; mutilate, burn, or scald with any substance; or drive over any domesticated animal, or cruelly set an animal upon another animal, except that reasonable force may be employed to drive off vicious or trespassing animals;
(b) By any means to make accessible to any animal, with the intent to cause harm or death, any substance which has in any manner been treated or prepared with harmful or poisonous substances. It is not the intent of this division (A)(1)(b) to prohibit the use of poisonous substances for the control of vermin of significance to the public health;
(c) To fail, refuse or neglect to provide any animal in his or her charge or custody as owner or otherwise with proper food, drink, shade, care, or shelter. Any animal kept outside shall be provided with structurally sound weatherproof enclosure, large enough to accommodate the animal;
(d) To drive or work any animal cruelly;
(e) To abandon any animal within the city limits. For the purposes of this division (A)(1)(e), "abandon" means for the owner or keeper to leave an animal without demonstrated or apparent intent to recover or resume custody; to leave an animal for more than 12 hours without providing adequate food and shelter for the duration of the absence; or to turn out or release an animal for the purpose of causing it to be impounded;
(f) To leave any animal confined in a vehicle for more than 20 minutes in extreme weather conditions, defined as less than 30 degrees Fahrenheit or more than 80 degrees Fahrenheit;
(g) To transport an animal in the trunk of a vehicle;
(h) To cause, instigate, stage, or train any animal to fight or permit any fight between any animal and another animal or human;
(i) Except a licensed veterinarian, to crop animal ears or dock animal tails; or
(j) To give away any live animal, fish, reptile, or bird as a prize for, or as an inducement to enter a place of amusement; or offer such vertebrate as an incentive to enter into any business agreement whereby the offer was for the purpose of attracting trade.
(2) Any person who, as the operator of a motor vehicle, strikes a domestic animal shall stop at once and render such assistance as may be possible and shall immediately report such injury or death to the animal's owner; in the event the owner cannot be ascertained and located, such operator shall at once report the accident to the Police Department or to the local humane society.
(B) Exceptions. Nothing in division (A) of this section shall:
(1) Be deemed to prohibit any action by a licensed veterinarian done in accordance with accepted standards of veterinary medicine, or any action taken by a law enforcement officer pursuant to the interests of public health and safety.
(2) Be interpreted as prohibiting any act done in self-defense or done to defend another person.
(Ord. O-10-20, passed 6-14-10)